Flash went further and deeper. He knew he was well away from the castle. He had left the catacombs and was now in a natural cave system that was unlike the straight smooth tunnel. While it was still accessible, the subterranean path rose and fell, taking turns to the left and right. No art adorned these walls, and Flash imagined what art he or the child inside him could paint here.
Eventually, he turned and made his winding way back to the castle.
Poikani, Bucket and the sphere greeted him when he arrived back home. Daylight shone through the crystals, flooding his room with light and color, in stark contrast to his hike under ground.
Flash wore a ruby ring. It had been a gift from the king and queen. With just a quick glance, you could tell that the stone was a ruby. If you looked closer, you would see the facets on the surface. Looking deeper into the gem, you could see facets on the back side of the stone, through the cuts on the front. Turning the stone slightly would catch the light in a different way, revealing one flat face of the stone through another, flashing a spark through the rich, red hue. This is how Flash saw Olo. There was always more to discover. As with everything in the universe, the planet held secrets that it would slowly reveal if you only took the time to discover them. His inner child taught him that he could expose more facets of himself if he was open to acknowledging them.
All this to say that every new day on Olo was brimming with possibility.
Every once in a while, Flash thought of the mother ship, which was held in Olo’s orbit. It could be seen in the night sky, a speck of light that looked like a star, but brighter. He had no reason to go back to it, though he could. The yellow pod was stored near the castle. He could fly it to the other side of Olo, or anywhere he liked, but he preferred to travel by foot or by whaleback.